Cruises

Wednesday 2 June 2010

Alternative Kusadasi Tour

A lovely warm early morning arrival with not a breath of wind to flutter our flags, heralded our arrival into Kusadasi and another mini highlight of the cruise as passengers opted for the wondrous sights of the ancient city of Ephesus.

Passing Pelican Island on our approach, the sea looked so inviting although, being still May, the word “looked” was probably the operative word!



Ephesus is truly an amazing place where you can drink in the culture of days of yore as you pass the Library of Celsus and the Temple of Hadrian or check-out the huge Grand Theatre where St Paul preached and walk along the Arcadian Way following in the footsteps of Anthony and Cleopatra.

However there is an, insiders’ tip, an “alternative tour”! When the morning rounds have been completed, meetings have been put to rest and the paperwork has been caught up on, a general feel-good factor creeps in and this feeling needs to be fed further and what better way than a quick run ashore for a proper Turkish shave in a traditional father and son barber’s shop.

We gents look at ourselves in the mirror every morning and shaving becomes a chore that needs to be completed as part of our morning ablutions. It doesn’t have to be a chore however and, to anybody who hasn’t experienced it yet, I can thoroughly recommend the experience of lying back in the barber’s chair and letting a true professional deftly wield a cut-throat razor over your chin. Not once but twice does he perform this task in order to ensure a skin as soft, smooth and supple as a freshly born baby’s bum!

Then of course there’s the “ear waxing”! Ow ……..! This process rids your outer ears of all the tiny hairs that you’d never be able to reach yourself. Some barbers do this with a small burning cotton pad on a wooden stick and, with a flick of the wrist, burn the same hairs! The “stingy” bit is still to come though and, with fresh, lemon cologne, a face, head, shoulder and arm massage ensues before you head off into the clean fresh air outside feeling like a million pounds.

A quick cursory glance at the watch tells us that, yes, we have time for a light fresh fish and salad lunch after all!

Michael Lobban, Hotel Director

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